The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/34686
BEST PRACTICES PREPARING FOR THE POST-PC ERA that it is lost or stolen. These policies include complex password locks, automatic wiping, blocking access to the iPad’s camera, and locking down the device so users cannot install their own apps. HOW LAWYERS WILL USE THE IPAD • Documents You’re probably asking, “Why would a lawyer want to use a device that doesn’t run Microsoft Office?” You’re right, that is a concern — but not as big a concern as you might think. When most lawyers draft briefs, contracts or pleadings, they are not so much concerned with the formatting of the document, which is what MS Word does very well. No, most lawyers are concerned with the writing of the document itself, the words the lawyer intends to use to persuade others or to express a legal point. There are many iPad apps that allow a lawyer to do just that, and then those words can be sent to his desktop or to an assistant for final formatting. Lawyers can create content on an iPad in a number of ways; it depends primarily on whether the lawyer prefers to write or type. Lawyers who prefer the days of the legal pad will be glad to know there are a lot of great note-taking apps available, including Note Taker HD, Penultimate, Notability and WritePad, which take your handwriting and convert it into text. Lawyers who are better typists (like me) will want to utilize Apple’s wireless keyboard or explore one of the cases that comes with a built-in keyboard. For editing or creating simple documents, the firm should consider implementing a document creation tool. Pages is a solid word processing tool that was made for the iPad, but it does not cleanly export Word documents. I recommend we use Documents to Go; lawyers will be able to work on Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files and be able to view • Require secure passcodes. I’m not talking about simple four-digit passcodes; require users to set a strong passcode with 10 digits or more. iPads come out of the box with the Passcode in the “off” position; however, they should be configured to require a lengthy passcode of numbers, letters and/or symbols. • Auto-lock devices after periods of inactivity. The iPad will automatically lock after a certain period of inactivity. Set a default period — one that will keep the end user from having to constantly enter the passcode, but one that is short enough to prevent unwanted access by non-users. • Autowipe the device after failed unlock attempts. The iPad can be programmed to automatically wipe after an incorrect passcode has been entered ten times. As with other mobile devices, this setting should be a no-brainer. • Wipe devices that are lost or stolen. The mobile administration tools mentioned above are all capable of remote wiping of tablet devices, so this is just one more reason why implementing a solid management tool is so important. • Isolate “personal” from “company” data. One challenge with the iPad is that your users will want to install their own apps on it. Unless you implement a policy prohibiting non-approved apps, and especially if the users own their devices, consider finding a way to logically isolate the iPad’s corporate environment from the personal environment. When employees leave the company, only the corporate environment would be deleted. • Continually refresh your policies. Tablets are a moving target; configurations and features are constantly changing. Be prepared to revisit and modify your policies often. • Consult Apple. All right, maybe Apple hasn’t been very enterprise-friendly when it comes to their products. However, the folks in Cupertino are open to providing resources for IT departments looking to learn more about deploying iPads in law firms and other businesses. Take a look at the “Deployment Resources” page for technology overviews, deployment guides, configuration utilities, development resources and more. ILTA Peer to Peer the quarterly magazine of ILTA 29